tuatara

American  

[too-uh-tahr-uh] / ˌtu əˈtɑr ə /

Also tuatera

noun

1. a large, primarily nocturnal, lizardlike reptile, Sphenodon punctatum, of islands near the coast of New Zealand: the only surviving rhynchocephalian.

---

tuatara British  

/ ˌtuːəˈtɑːrə /

noun

1. a greenish-grey lizard-like rhynchocephalian reptile, Sphenodon punctatus , occurring only on certain small islands near New Zealand: it is the sole surviving member of a group common in Mesozoic times

---

Etymology

Origin of tuatara

1810–20; < Maori, equivalent to tua dorsal + tara spine

Example Sentences

Although many living species share flexible skulls and other advanced traits, only the tuatara still retains a complete lower temporal bar, giving it a more ancestral appearance.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025

Seeking to learn about the evolutionary origins of acoustic communication in vertebrates, the scientists recorded 53 species from four major clades — turtles, tuatara, caecilians and lungfish — to analyze what they heard.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2022

The creatures included 50 turtles, a tuatara, a lungfish and a caecilian.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2022

Squamates’ slower pace resulted in a more stable history, followed by a later burst of diversity when tuatara relatives were already on their downturn.

From Scientific American • Mar. 23, 2022

“Yeah, he believes Malik is going to be able to identify some factor in tuatara blood that makes them age slowly, and then he’s going to ‘cure death,’” Davis said, using air quotes.

From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green